Sport: An Integral Part of Australia 

184. That’s the number of professional sports teams in Australia, which is joint-fifth highest in the world. Impressive as it is, the figure becomes even more striking when you consider the population. With just 26 million people, Australia has one professional sports team for every 141,300 people. In comparison, Spain, the country with the most professional teams at 216, has one for every 217,600 people. These numbers highlight just how deeply sport is embedded in Australian culture.

In 2023, sport and recreation contributed over over AU$9.4 billion to the Australian economy, underscoring the industry’s significance. But where did it all begin?

Organised sport in Australia dates back to the 1800s, when cricket and horse racing were among the first competitions, primarily played by the working class on public holidays and the upper class on Saturdays. Aussie rules football, codified in 1859, gained popularity in Victoria, while early forms of rugby took hold in New South Wales and Queensland. Today, these sports remain at the heart of Australia’s sporting landscape, with the majority of the country’s professional teams competing in them.

Aussie rules football is the most attended sport, while rugby league dominates television viewership. Cricket, football, and netball also enjoy immense popularity, with substantial public investment and engagement. According to Global Sport Insights, Australia ranks second globally in consumer spending on sport, with an average household spend of $93,725, far exceeding the world average of $26,052.

Beyond professional sport, Australia is also a nation of participants. As of 2023, 78% of Australians engage in sport or physical activity weekly. Participation rates remain strong across diverse groups, including 77% of people over 55, 69% of Indigenous Australians, and 67% of individuals with disabilities.

This ingrained sporting culture has translated into global success. Among nations with populations over 10 million, Australia ranks third in Olympic medals per capita, securing 21.68 medals per million inhabitants between 1896 and 2020. At the Commonwealth Games, Australia leads the all-time medal tally with 2,604.

With such a strong sporting pedigree, it is fitting that Australia will host its third Summer Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032, following Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. From Ian Thorpe to Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman to Sir Don Bradman, Australian athletes have long been at the pinnacle of global sport. And with the Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, their legacy is set to continue.

Study Sport in Australia with GIS

Learn more about how you can pursue a degree in sport at the brand-new GIS Sydney campus in partnership with the University of Newcastle.

Article by Zak Anani